The Chart
by Lucky-Racer
Summary: Lukanette. Alya and Rose help Marinette write pro/con lists to choose between Adrien and Luka... but is it really that simple? :)
1. The Chart

**Author's Note:** _Hey there! I have caught the Bug sooo hard…. I love this series so much, and I hope it shows. Please be nice to me as I haven't written anything in a LONG time. :) Bug out!_

 _Update: edited for some minor errors like hair- and eyecolors._

* * *

Marinette leaned her head hard against the shower wall as the warm water flowed through her hair and flung it down over her eyes. A rivulet close to her ear tickled, but she ignored it because of the almost physical pain she was in. She felt like Despair Bair was clinging to her, but tried to will it away. The Ladybug herself knew the danger of dwelling on negative emotions in the City of Love ever since Hawk Moth had commenced his attacks. Plus… an akuma coming for her would be her worst nightmare realized.

"I don't get it, Tikki!" She shouted softly through the shower wall glass once she had control of her dark feelings. The girl shook the water off and promptly finished bathing, trying to ignore the stabs of longing that shot through her as she thought of her two crushes. One obsession had been brewing for a while, but that didn't seem to dull the intensity of her newest fascination. He was even more fascinating because she knew almost nothing about him.

Of course Tikki, bless her, knew exactly what Marinette was talking about. "Marinette, you never know what's going to happen," Marinette's Kwami said cheerfully as the superhero wrapped her hair in a towel and threw on her robe. Tikki spun in a circle with gusto. "That's the beauty of the future. The possibilities are endless!"

"Yes, endless… but it would just be so much _easier_ if I knew what was going to happen!" Marinette groaned. "I don't know who I'm supposed to be with. The gelato man said my love's eyes are green, right? Only one of them has green eyes… but it doesn't feel right that the other one would be ruled out so easily."

"The future is _not_ limited!" Tikki was very optimistic. "You make your own future. One man's prediction about who your love is doesn't make it so."

Marinette managed a small half-smile, one side of her face curling slightly. Suddenly, clarity struck her. She had friends with ideas, too! "I think we might need some backup on this one."

* * *

"Nice robe, Marinette!" Through the phone's livecalling app, Marinette watched as Alya covered her mouth while giggling. Rose's blonde hair was barely in the frame, and they were sitting in front of a bookcase filled with periodicals.

"OOH!" Rose squealed, her attention caught, edging into the picture next to Alya. She squinted at Marinette's bright red cloth with black dots. "Where can I get one?"

Marinette's cheeks colored slightly as her eyes wandered down to her Ladybug robe. "Oops. I was so excited to call you, I forgot to get dressed. I promise I will change before you come over!"

"What's going on, Mari?" Alya asked.

"I need your advice... " Marinette paused. "I am clueless as to what to do regarding my… ahm…"

"Ladies, no calling in the library please!" A passing librarian chided Alya and Rose, not unkindly.

"Oops," Alya mumbled. She walked a few paces away and switched the call to audio only. "Sorry, Marinette, Rose and I are working on our Physics project," she whispered. "I'll come over after that ASAP! I'm so pumped to hear! Don't leave a thing out!" Alya smiled into the phone and hung up.

Marinette mirrored her best friend's expression and clutched the phone to her heart. "We just might figure this out!"

* * *

 _Ding-dong!_

"Aah!" Marinette shrieked. Tikki laughed, then hid away so the other humans wouldn't see her.

 _Thudthudthudthudthud._ 'That was fast!' Marinette thought about the sound of pounding feet on the stairs.

The trapdoor to Marinette's room flew open as Alya's thick hair followed by her brilliant grin flew into the room. Rose followed closely on her heels.

"Oh, Marinette!" Rose sang. "I hope it's okay that I came! I'm just so inspired by looooove!"

Marinette giggled, and blushed. "Sure, Rose. I could use all the help I can get."

Alya and Rose made themselves comfortable, taking seats on Marinette's bed. They knew they could be here for a while.

Marinette rolled her desk chair over and formed a triangle with the other girls. "Ladies… what do I dooooo?!"

Alya's grin seemed plastered to her face, but it widened. "I have an idea!"

* * *

The three girls crowded around the chart on Marinette's desk.

'Adrien'. 'Luka'. The chart was divided neatly down the middle and laterally in half. 'Pros'. 'Cons.'

So far the chart read:

'Adrien - Pros: Beautiful. Plays piano. Already friends. In Mari's class. Kind.

Cons: Over-possessive dad. Mari can't talk to him.'

'Luka - Pros: Beautiful. Plays guitar. Can put Mari at ease. Gave Mari a gift already. Kind.

Cons: Disorganized mother. Mari can't talk to him.'

"Ugh," Alya tapped the pen to her chin. "These lists are nearly identical, girl!"

"Plus," Rose sighed, "It's not very romantic to put love on a list like this. I thought this was going to be more passionate!"

Marinette frowned. "True," she agreed. "But it seems I can't trust my feelings. They haven't really gotten me anywhere so far!"

"Yes they have, girl!" Alya disagreed. "A friendship is a great foundation to start building a real relationship."

"That's not very romantic either," Rose sighed. "But I have to agree. Though friends is ALL Adrien sees Mari as, and that could be a Con. She has been banished to the friendzone!" She pursed her lips.

"Yes… but you can't count is as both a Pro and a Con, because then they'd cancel each other out. Friendship is already a Pro for Adrien," Alya added. "Plus, for Luka, aren't 'gave Mari a gift already' and 'kind' too similar? And Adrien gave her a gift too!" She pointed out. "The lucky charm on her birthday."

The hairs on the back of Marinette's neck stood up as Alya said the words 'Lucky Charm', which is how the superhero heard it. She knew Alya didn't mean the words as a connection to Ladybug, but Marinette still fought to keep her cool.

"I don't know," Rose countered. "That was _expected_ of Adrien because it was her birthday! On the other hand, Marinette gave Adrien her charm spontaneously, just like Luka gave Marinette that Jagged Stone guitar pick spontaneously. Sooo romantic!" She cooed, face glazing over while a small smirk appeared on her lips.

Alya rolled her eyes slightly but couldn't keep the corners of her lips from turning up. "Adrien is also the same age. That seems like a Pro to me."

"No way!" Rose disagreed again. "Luka is older, which means he is more mature. Everyone knows that being older is a Pro!"

"Agh, this is so hard." Marinette shook her head. "So we have one vote for Adrien and one vote for Luka. And I am undecided."

"Mari, I'm not necessarily pro- or con- _anyone_. I just want you to be happy!" Alya's face smoothed as she gazed earnestly at her best friend.

"Me too, Marinette, me too!" Rose bounced up and down. "Just follow your heart! It's sooo-"

" _Romantic_!" The three girls finished at the same time, Alya and Marinette shouting with glee to join in on Rose's favorite phrase. The three eyed each other and immediately broke down into hysterical laughter.

* * *

The weekend promptly ended, as weekends tend to do. The happy memory seemed like a long time ago on Monday morning as Marinette trudged back to school with the rest of her classmates. She hadn't seen her friends yet as she walked up the stairs to the building, pondering her conundrum anew.

"...minor key," Luka's disembodied voice floated over towards her. Already at the top of the stairs, Marinette instantly stopped in her tracks and spun around to see Luka heading down the street with… _Adrien_! Thankfully no one was behind her so she could examine the pair at length. "I find that is more easily conveys emotion than the major key in stuff I've written," Luka continued.

Adrien turned his head to admire his new acquaintance. "You've written stuff already? So cool!"

Marinette gaped in horror. Her two crushes were _friends_?! How could this happen?

"Thanks, Adrien!" Luka glanced at the younger boy briefly and returned his attention to the path ahead. His brilliant blue eyes trained on Marinette's figure, who was still a distance away. She made eye contact with him briefly before hyperventilating and sprinting to Miss Bustier's class. Adrien and Luka looked at each other. Luka couldn't help smiling. "She's a funny girl, isn't she, that Marinette?"

"What was that about?" Adrien looked genuinely confused.

Luka burst out laughing. "You really don't know? You're funny too, my friend." He winked at Adrien before speeding away in his own direction. "Gotta get to class. I'll see you later!"

Adrien ran a hand through his blond mane. "Any ideas, Plagg?" He asked his Kwami softly.

* * *

"Uuuugh," Marinette groaned and planted her face firmly into her desk. Alya, already seated for class, patted her friend on the back.

"It's ok, Marinette, just keep your cool. Just get through the day one breath at a time. At least Luka isn't in our class too!"

Alya could see her best friend's blush creeping across her cheeks even as her head was faced down. "Oops. I was trying to comfort you, not make it worse!"

"It's ok, Alya," Marinette said sadly. "I know." She raised her head to rest it on her hand glumly. She couldn't look at Adrien as he walked into the room and took a seat next to Nino. Alya and Nino exchanged a glance.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

The last bell of the day _finally_ rang out, and a pang of relief washed through Marinette. Thankfully, she didn't have to speak to Adrien all day. Normally she would hate that, but today it seemed like a blessing. Marinette and Alya headed for the door, as usual, one of the first groups out of the classroom.

Alya was telling a funny story about her twin sisters' latest tantrum and Marinette was really into it. So engrossed she was, she didn't notice where she was walking until- _WHAM!_

"Oof-" Marinette ran squarely into someone. Before she could lose her balance, hands gripped her arms and held her steady.

"Marinette!" Luka said happily. "I've been waiting for you, I admit, but this greeting isn't exactly what I had in-" Marinette stiffened at the sound of his voice, and he must have noticed it. He stepped away from her and let his hands fall, expression concerned.

The anxiety made its way like a cold wave through her body, clutching at her throat. "W-w-waiting for ME? Oh, ah, um, that's so do of you to nice. I mean, nice of you to me. I mean," Marinette squeezed her eyes shut in frustration. She hated the easy blush that rose to her face once again.

Alya's face had split into a smile the moment the saw the pair together. "I'll catch you later Mari, I've got to babysit tonight!"

"ALYA! Um, byee!" Marinette's eyes flew open, pleading her friend to stay with a look which Alya cheerfully ignored as she sped away.

"Senior class let out a few minutes early today, so I figured I might get a chance to talk with you," Luka explained. His face was a serene mask. "Would you care to walk with me for a minute, Marinette?"

He looked like the patron saint of rock music with his dyed tips, guitar, and black nails. The vision of him standing there, so patient and understanding, made her heart swell. "Y-yes," she choked out.

She got the feeling he was trying not to chuckle as he slowly ambled towards the exit of the school. She fell in naturally beside him. Trying to keep her cool, she groped for a subject. "So… how is your family doing after the akuma attack?" Then mentally kicked herself, thinking that might be too risky of a subject for only their second real conversation.

He didn't seem to mind. "Hmm… surprisingly well, actually. We already had to recover from the Juleka episode before, so Mom going through it wasn't as bad. Mom is pretty 'go with the flow', as you know, so I think that helped. Since that was over two weeks ago, it's almost like ancient history to her."

"Ah… yes!" Marinette agreed, trying to think of something nice to say about Mrs. Couffaine. "She's… she's…"

Surprisingly, the older boy laughed. "I know that she's a bit different from your disciplined and orderly parents - or at least how disciplined and orderly I would imagine two entrepreneurs who run their own business would be. I've really got to stop by the bakery sometime," he mused unrelatedly.

Marinette grimaced reflexively. The thought of Luka meeting her parents was mildly horrifying. "OH! YES, THE BAKERY!… the bakery… visit… you… sometime... "

Luka let out a breath slowly. They had reached the bottom of the stairs. It was a beautiful day outside, slightly overcast so that the sun wasn't blinding, but still bright enough to enjoy the scenery. "Why don't we sit for a minute, Mari?" He plopped onto the concrete of the bottom step after unslinging his guitar so it wouldn't get crushed behind him.

Her breath caught as the familiar nickname came from the boy she didn't know. She sat down hard. He seemed to read her mood immediately. "Is that ok, Marinette? Sorry, I didn't mean to presume." His brilliant eyes searched her face.

She lost her cool again under the scrutiny. "Oh…. oh, yes, that's ok- it's just that my friends call me that - NOT that you're NOT a friend, I just, I would totally love to be your friend...I mean… uugh."

"I make you nervous, don't I?" He gazed at her in concern. "I don't mind, I just don't want to make you uncomfortable."

She found that once the awkwardness was spoken aloud, acknowledged by the target of her emotions, it helped to dissipate the tension she felt. The anxiety melted away, much like the time he had played his guitar for her, leaving a companionable serenity between them. She could tell, between this encounter and the last, that the boy felt a deep empathy for her. It's almost like they were on the same wavelength. "Wow," she breathed. "You seem amazing at reading me."

He grinned. "My mom tells me I can sense others' emotions easily, and that it's a gift from her side of the family. But honestly, you're an open book." He looked away from her out into the street, surveying the world.

She visibly relaxed, especially now that he wasn't looking directly at her. They sat in a companionable silence for a few moments. "What… did you want to talk to me about?" Marinette eventually asked before her courage failed her.

Luka smiled. "I wanted to know if you want to hang out sometime!"

Marinette was shocked. 'Was it really that easy?' She thought. "I would love to!"

* * *

 **A/n** : _Teehee! I love these two together. Obsessed. LOL. I'm hoping to update a companion story to this one about their first "date"/hanging out. Stay tuned for that!_

 _The actual Chart in this story was inspired by a happening with my Bestie and all her dating options she had once. As you can imagine, much hilarity ensued then, too._


	2. The Date

**A/n** : _Hi again! :) I hope you enjoy this companion to_ The Chart _. I had a bunch of fun writing it._

 _edit: Took out some repetitive words [is actually 5X necessary? actually, not LOL] & fixed minor grammatical errors._

* * *

Marinette studied her reflection in her bedroom mirror. Again. Same simple and well-constructed red dress, same shiny black hair tied into her customary pigtails. The dress, she figured, was a safe bet. Comfortable and cool. Not too casual and not too fancy. It was a sheath ending just above the knee, loose enough for good movement and the walking they were going to be doing. The bust was fitted and the sleeves were short and flowy.

For some reason, Marinette was trembling. The tremors had started about an hour ago, two hours before the time agreed upon by Luka and herself the day before. It wasn't a constant thing, just an intermittent shaking that lasted a few seconds longer than a normal shiver. But it was quite annoying, and she was certain that even her parents, who were downstairs, could hear her teeth chattering together.

Alya, bless her, was here, of course. She gave Marinette a final once-over. "Girl, you look great! Stop freaking out, you'll be fine!"

When Luka had asked to hang out, Marinette was elated. It was only later that she also became anxious. The whole idea was so vague. What was "hanging out"? Wasn't that what she had done with Adrien already? Why did this feel different? Luka and Marinette had a formal _plan_ to "hang out" - he was to pick her up at her parents' house at a certain time, and then they would walk to dinner. When expressing her concerns to Alya, she had laughed and told Marinette to chill. Dating in today's world was so complicated - wait, _was_ this a date?!

The black-haired girl groaned and flung herself onto her bed facedown. "That's the thing with this feeling, it seems like I can't," She confided to Alya. "I just can't stop freaking out. I don't know what's wrong with me. Is this even a date? He just called it 'hanging out'. What does that even mean? I should just cancel the whole thing."

Alya sighed, walking over to the bed and placing a hand on her hip. "It's going to be ok. I know you get nervous. I don't understand what it feels like first hand, but I know that the anxiety can cripple you and I can imagine how frustrating that could feel." She sat down beside her best friend in the world. "Whatever happens, it's going to be ok. And I will always be here for you afterwards to talk about it."

The black-haired girl snuggled close to her friend. "Ok. I'm going to do this. I do really like him," she said with a dreamy smile.

"I know," Alya replied, giving Marinette's arm a squeeze. "Now let's play some _Ultimate Mecha Strike_ before he gets here, so you can relax for a bit."

Marinette found it hard to focus but was grateful for the distraction. Her father came up soon after, knocking on the trapdoor. "Hi honey! I have some fresh-baked croissants. Are you ready for your...meeting?" He grinned at his daugher.

" _Dad!_ "

* * *

Luka was early.

The doorbell gave him away. Panic mixed with anticipation fluttered through her abdomen. Marinette had a last few words of encouragement from Alya before heading to the trapdoor. Alya, armed with a plate of the Dupain-Cheng baking, was going to stay behind in Marinette's room and work on some Ladyblog ideas. It was Friday evening, so they were planning a sleepover, and this way Alya could get the scoop right when Marinette returned. Marinette took a bit of comfort in the fact that if this went horribly, at least she could easily avoid Luka tomorrow.

A thin film of sweat clung to her hands and another tremor ran through her. She silently cursed to herself, trying to will her body to behave.

Her crush had cleaned up for the occasion, replacing his hoodie and T-shirt with a nicer plain white shirt and a black leather jacket with square silver studs on the upper sleeves and shoulders. His pants were tidy jeans, with no holes like his usual lived-in pair. His black nail polish was gone. She took slight amusement in the fact that he must have removed it with nail polish remover, knowing first hand how annoying that could be. His style wasn't showy, but it was fancier than his normal outfit. He still proudly displayed his own personal flair, however. He was definitely trying to impress her parents while simultaneously letting them see a bit of his quirkiness.

"Luka?" Mrs. Dupain-Cheng greeted the boy kindly as he stepped through the door. "We've heard so much about you!"

"Mom!" Marinette groaned from the top of the stairs. She started down the flight, smoothing the bottom of her dress self-consciously as she went. 'Oops,' she thought as she did so, hoping no sweat would be left on the bright red fabric.

"Don't worry about it, Marinette," Luka graciously maneuvered the potentially-awkward moment in Marinette's favor. "My mom already knows you, so it's nice to finally meet Mrs. Dupain-Cheng."

"Oh my," the baker tutted. "Please call me Sabine."

Mr. Dupain-Cheng took that as his cue to spring forward jovially, extending his hand which Luka accepted in a warm embrace. They pumped arms enthusiastically. "I really appreciate you stopping by," Marinette's dad gushed. "It's so nice to meet the first boy to take our little girl out."

"Dad!" Marinette exclaimed for the second time in a hour, mortified. She had reached the bottom of the stairs, unfortunately much more quickly than she would have liked.

"Do you want a croissant?" It was Mr. Dupain-Cheng's turn to repeat himself, this time directing the question at Luka. It seemed like a safe icebreaker.

"Honey," his wife interjected. "They probably want to save their appetites for their dinner." She was careful to avoid the word _date_.

"That's probably a good idea, although I'm definitely hoping to come back and try your baking some other day," Luka smiled serenely at the Dupain-Chengs. Marinette's heart melted.

"That would be lovely! You can try anything you want, on the house."

He grinned his thanks, then turned his attention to his date. "Marinette, I was hoping we could talk a bit before leaving for dinner." He had actually brought his guitar with him, she observed belatedly.

Her parents took this as a hint. "Tom," Mrs. Dupain-Cheng stated, "I forgot I had some urgent business to discuss with you in the other room," she gestured to the dark wooden door. "Would you please join me?" Her husband led the way, somewhat dejected. On the way out, she called, "Have fun! Call me if you need anything."

"We wi-ill," Marinette sang out through her gritted teeth. Her parents annoyed her at times, but she knew it was coming from a good place.

She followed his lead, heading to the couch to sit down. "Don't worry, Marinette. I know what it's like to be slightly overprotective of family," he confided as she was trying to determine exactly just how close to him to sit. His eyes were looking somewhere else.

"Y-your sister?" She guessed, giving up and just plopping down.

His cheeks flushed, ever so slightly. It looked good on him. "Yes," He said simply. "Anyway, that was nice of your parents to give us some space, but it wasn't necessary." When Marinette didn't respond, he continued. "This," unslung his guitar, "Was what I wanted to talk to you about. Would you like me to play you a riff from a song I'm working on? I figured I could leave my guitar here while we eat, and then come back and get it after I walked you home."

Finally galvanized into saying something, her face heated at the thought of him escorting her home. "S-sure," she managed. Another shiver made its way up her spine, through her neck and made her teeth chatter slightly. She tried desperately to at least keep her mouth closed so the sound wouldn't be so obvious.

If he noticed, he didn't comment. He was in his own zone now, eyes closed, and the two lapsed into a comfortable silence. And then she was transported to a different realm, a transcendent place of emotion. A chord was struck in her.

"That felt sad, very melancholy," Marinette commented when it was over. "But, it was still so beautiful, almost so much so that it hurt."

"I know what you mean," Luka replied. "Thank you for your kind words." The chatted softly for a few minutes about the various technical aspects of the song. Her parents ended up emerging from their hiding spot, giving up trying to stay out of the way, but what surprised her was that Marinette didn't mind. The adults bustled about the kitchen while the teens continued talking. When Marinette made a Jagged Stone reference, Luka grinned. Eventually, he looked at the clock. "We'd better get going, Mari," he suggested.

Time continued to fly. Before she knew it, they were at the restaurant. The conversation ebbed and flowed easily between them. Luka was excellent at listening, and he actually had her discussing herself for a while. When the hostess mentioned it was going to be a forty-five minute wait, neither of them batted an eye.

When they were summoned for an open table, Marinette was engrossed in telling the hilarious story of how she became the artist of the _Rock Giant_ album cover. Luka was listening with rapt attention, an open expression of admiration on his face. When she described the finished French-flag Eiffel Tower sunglasses in detail, they both cracked up laughing.

"Oh crap," she finally said. "We've got to figure out what we want to eat!"

* * *

After, Luka, good for his word, walked her back to her parents' house. The sun had set and the effect was sobering on Marinette. The older boy had paid for dinner, and dessert, _and_ had given her another gift on top of that. The small wrapped box was nestled safely in her purse for her to open later. The attention he had showed her was almost overwhelming after receiving so little scrutiny and affection from her other crush. She tried not to fidget under the pressure. Though she knew Luka wasn't a bad guy, it still seemed like the power dynamic was subtly skewed because he had done so much for her today. What would she be expected to do in return?

Sometime while walking, Luka broke the silence. "I like you a lot, Marinette," he began. "I know that dating isn't really a comfortable thing for you." Her pulse sped up. He had called it a date! "But I had an amazing time, and I really appreciate you giving it a shot. We don't have to do this again, but I do think that us spending more time together would make you more comfortable around me. Maybe we could try something more casual next time?" She could hear the hope in his voice.

To her surprise, she wasn't nervous anymore. "Yes! That sounds wonderful. You're wonderful," she blurted out before she knew what she was saying. She covered her hands with her mouth.

Luka smiled. "I think you're wonderful too, Marinette. I'm hoping this means you'll be replying to my texts in a more timely manner?" He winked at her. They'd exchanged numbers shortly after he had asked her to hang out.

"OH, uh… sorry about that," she said as she blushed slightly, recalling her immediate meltdown after he had texted her for the first time. He'd texted her a second time later in the week, but as she was agonizing over the proper response, an akuma had struck. Since she had read the message already and it wasn't marked as new, she'd forgotten to respond after returning to normal life.

"Don't worry about it," Luka chuckled, good-natured as ever, as they drew up alongside the bakery storefront. Marinette could tell the second-floor lights were on. The shop was closed for the night, but the surrounding city lights bathed the pair in a dim glow.

They turned to face each other...

….and here it came. It was finally time for The Moment. The Moment was the cliché when a couple arrived together back at the girl's house after the first date was over. If movies, pop culture, and social media were to be trusted, it was a defining instant that set the tone for the rest of the relationship. 'That's a lot of pressure just for one small point in time,' Marinette mused. But she realized, she was at a loss for what she wanted to happen. She had never kissed anyone… except to save Cat Noir, which Cat didn't even remember. This Moment felt... different, far more intimate and personal. Not done out of desperation in the heat of battle, but very intentional and slow. She could feel the tension between Luka and herself as she raised her eyes slowly towards his face. She tried not to freak out as anticipation shot through her.

"What now?" Marinette asked simply, gazing at him as innocently as a doe caught in headlights. Now Luka's heart was melting, if she was reading his eyes correctly.

He stepped in close and wrapped his arms around her slowly. It was so slowly that she definitely had time to get out of it if she wanted, but she reciprocated, half relieved and half alarmed. She relaxed into the hug as it lingered on, and he squeezed her close. He smelled faintly of musk and leather. She tightened her grip in turn, pressing her face into his chest. They fit perfectly together, her head tucked under his. Luka finally lowered his arms and she almost regretfully let go. He procured a single rose magically from some inner pocket of his; she was impressed that none of the petals were too badly crushed. He held it carefully between his long fingers before pressing it into her hand, closing hers around it with his own.

"I'll see you soon, Marinette," he breathed, looking surprised at himself as his hand reached to tug one of her pigtails playfully. The nerve endings on her scalp tingled in a pleasant way. His lip twitched and then he was on his way.

"Sounds great, Luka," she responded softly, not quite sure if he could hear her.

Once safely inside the inside of the front door of the bakery, she leaned back against it for stability, and slowly slid to the floor. She was giddy with elation. Luka was _amazing_!

And then her eyes landed on his guitar, stashed just inside the door for easy reach. 'Oops,' she thought. She giggled to herself as she sped up the stairs to tell Alya all about her night. 'He might be back sooner than I thought!'

* * *

 **A/n:** _I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. This was inspired by the awkwardness that was high-school me dating with extreme dating anxiety. LOL! Anyway, I love these two so much, I hope they become a real thing. I know it probably won't become canon, but we can hope :)_

 _I do have a short drabble planned for what happens right after this story. I will upload to this story; all of these can stand alone but they're definitely better together._


	3. The Text

**A/n** _: Aaaaand we're back lol. I generally don't update regularly, haha, but I also can't remember liking and being inspired by a series as much as this one._

* * *

Marinette rushed back through the bakery and onto the second level where her parents were snuggled together on the couch, watching television. Their attention was broken by her appearance. Her mother was trying to act not-quite-as-interested as she really was, Marinette knew, but her father had no such reservations.

"Honeeeey!" He sang, and sprang up off of the couch. Sabine laid a restraining hand on the back of his arm, which was all she could reach from her current position.

The superhero could only smile at her parents. "Hey dad, hey mom!" She replied cheerfully.

"How was your date?!" Her dad asked eagerly, using the word "date" to test the waters and feel out what Marinette thought of the situation. "I genuinely liked Luka from what I saw. And I definitely like him better than Adrien if he's actually paying attention to you," he added.

"Tom!" Mrs. Dupain-Cheng reproached her husband.

"It's ok, mom," Marinette replied, surprising herself. "All I'll say for the moment was that it was amazing, Luka is amazing, and I've got to go tell Alya everything!" she giggled as she headed up the stairs.

Mr. Dupain-Cheng deflated back onto the couch next to his wife. "I thought she'd want to tell _us_ everything," he said sadly.

"Honey," Sabine replied. "You know how teenagers are. She's having a sleepover with a friend, of course she'll want to tell Alya first. But you know that Marinette can't keep her feelings inside. Remember how much she gushed about Adrien? I guarantee you we're going to be hearing more about this Luka."

"Wait - is Marinette even _allowed_ to date?" Tom asked with new horror in his eyes now that the possibility was becoming a reality.

Sabine laughed heartily.

* * *

"Alyaaa!" Marinette shouted happily as she raced up the stairs and flung open the door to her room. Climbing up onto the landing carefully, she spotted her best friend at her desk, laptop out, hard at work on the Ladyblog. "Luka is awesome and we had such a good time and he's such a gentleman and he played me a song so I would calm down and-"

"Marinette," Alya interrupted, bemused. "I am so thrilled, first of all. But. You. Need. To. Take. A. Breath!"

"Oops, hehehe."

Marinette couldn't help but remain standing and pace the room as she told her story, burning with energy. She punctuated the story with wild gestures and funny voices. Alya's eyes were glued to Marinette as her friend recounted everything she was thinking and feeling during the date. When Alya heard the part in detail about Luka playing her his song-in-progress, she beamed. "I _knew_ he was a statue to your compass." This time, Marinette didn't protest as profusely as she had on the _Liberty_. Luka was definitely taking her attention away from Adrien; the photos of the model were still removed from her wall. She hadn't had the heart to actually get _rid_ of the pictures yet, but it was a step.

Though Alya was thoroughly engrossed in the story, it wasn't long before Marinette was interrupted again, this time by her phone.

 _Ding!_

The black-haired girl blanched. The story died instantly. Her mouth had snapped with an audible _click_ at the sound of the text tone and all the two friends could do for a minute was stare at each other.

"Was that-" Alya began in dismay.

"-him _already_?! Noooo…" Marinette finished. "I'm scared to check." She took a steadying breath and unlocked her phone.

' _Hey Mari! Made it home :) I just wanted you to know again how much fun I had with you tonight. I can't wait to see you again soon. ~L_ '

"AHHHHHH!" Marinette flung herself down onto her bed for the second time in the day, face heating. Her heart was racing. She had already been through the emotional wringer tonight. She had thought she was in the clear for this sort of thing, or at least that her body would stop freaking out.

"No kidding, Mari," Alya replied sympathetically. "He totally threw the rules out the window! This guy is something else."

"Rules? What are you talking about?"

"You know…. _The Rules_. You're not supposed to text back until the day _after_ the date."

"Whyyyyee is dating so complicated?"

* * *

 **A/n** : _Muahahahah! I am so amused by this idea. I personally don't believe in texting "rules" after the first date, I think it's ridiculous that someone should have to wait. If you like someone, why not let them know? I figured Luka would think along these lines, too, with how forthright he was about his feelings in S2E12. (Openly laughing at Marinette, then showing chagrin, then telling her she's a "funny girl". Definitely more direct and better at communicating than Adrien ;)_

 _I know this chapter was a bit short but it was originally going to be a small drabble. I am planning on continuing this story still, again, I have at least one or two more chapter ideas. Stay tuned :)_


	4. The Gift

Luka had sheepishly returned the next day to retrieve his guitar. Marinette smiled at him as she handed it over, then realized she was in her pajamas and instantly clammed up.

"AAH! I…. have to go!" She flashed him a quick, embarrassed smile and fled.

* * *

Later that day, the two girls, working together, had managed to come up with a response to The Text. ' _Hey, Luka! I had a great time with you, too. I'll see ya at school!_ ' was the somewhat-bland message they had finally settled on that was Alya-approved. Not too eager, but not too distant. Marinette thought the tone was a tad cool after the very warm vibe from Luka, and that the 'see ya at school' didn't really leave much open for the possibility of a further conversation.

"Dating rules suck," was all Marinette could say.

"You might want to keep your options open," Alya suggested with a slight hint of sadness. "It's nice that you shared that date together, but you don't have to commit after just that."

Marinette sighed. "I can understand that. When I only had eyes for Adrien, I had a hard time imagining there could ever be anyone else. But Luka is special. I don't want to pass him up just because I'm waiting for a boy who isn't even interested."

"That's very wise, girl! But there's something else you haven't thought about. You dating Luka could actually make Adrien take more notice of you, too, especially if they're friends."

All she could do was to blanch in response. The possibility of both of them liking her was even more horrifying than the possibility of just one of them liking her.

* * *

The next time Luka and Marinette saw each other was a few days later, at school. Marinette was enjoying her lunch from home while Alya was waiting in the lunch line. The line was taking a particularly long time today, and Marinette was almost done eating. She had just popped the cute little macaron her mother had included into her mouth when Luka approached.

"Hey, Marinette," he said casually, standing over the empty opposite seat from hers.

She chewed and swallowed as quickly as she could, trying her best not to choke. "Lukie - what-" Marinette smacked her forehead into the palm of her hand hard, not able to continue. Had she really just messed up his name?

He was struck with a wave of merriment, bending over slightly and laughing. He rested one hand on the table as if to steady himself. "You're so funny, Marinette. Your reactions to yourself are hilarious."

Seeing her expression, he sobered. He swang easily into the seat across from her, keeping his hands planted and leaning her upper body forward over the table. "Don't worry about it, Mari," he said, searching her face. Everything about his body language screamed 'earnest' and 'trustworthy'. "My sister calls me that name sometimes." Her heart swelled again at his grace with conversation. She thought he underestimated his own skill with social interactions. Even if he made a blunder, his attentiveness to others gave him the ability to navigate it with grace.

"Really?" she asked, interested. She realized she didn't know that much about the Couffaines. It was a refreshing change after the endless data-collecting with her Adrien obsession. She saw now that that was too one-sided. This was different; the interest was split.

"Yeah! 'Juleka' and 'Luka' sound awfully familiar when they're yelled across the ship."

When Alya arrived at the table, she sat next to Marinette, who was enjoying an exchange about Luka's life aboard the houseboat. The redhead was surprised but pleased to see her friend actually participating in a real conversation, and fluently, with someone she liked. The two welcomed her, and Alya didn't feel like a third wheel at all.

Time flew and all-too-suddenly, the bell rang for lunch to be over.

"Oops!" He was the one who looked embarrassed this time. "I was just here to use the bathroom! That was the bell for my class to be over! Gotta run!"

The two girls exchanged a glance. "I _thought_ he didn't normally have lunch now," Marinette giggled.

* * *

Luka had mentioned a guitar lesson directly after school, but Marinette didn't mind not being able to see him again that day. After ending the encounter on such a good note, she was loath to screw it up.

"Don't worry, Marinette," Tikki encouraged from the safety of the girl's bedroom. "You're doing great!" She smiled cheerfully at her human.

While she wouldn't go that far, Marinette was thoroughly cheered by her Kwami's optimism. "Thanks, Tikki," she said, tickling the little red cheek. Marinette had mused before about this ancient being who still managed to act so young. The girl wondered if she had ever accidentally offended her Kwami by treating her with less respect than her years deserved. Thankfully, Tikki was good-natured. "I'm lucky to have you."

* * *

When her older crush hadn't seen her for a few days, he broke the silence with another text. ' _Hey Mari! The band has been pretty busy this week but I hope to see you soon. Have you got a chance to listen to the mix yet? ;)_ '

A shriek escaped her lips, and before Marinette knew it, Alya had stolen her phone to read the text for herself.

"Girl, we really need to work on your forgetfulness," she laughed.

Marinette had indeed completely forgotten about Luka's present - not only to open it, but that it even existed! "I am the worst date ever," she groaned.

* * *

Later, alone in her room again - well, alone with Tikki, who was dancing over her shoulder to watch the show - Marinette quickly located the discarded present on her desk, which she had moved the day after she had received it to make more room for Tikki in her bag.

"Oops." She grimaced, turning over the package in her hands. It was a small box, plain, wrapped neatly and with obvious care.

"It's ok, Marinette! Let's see what's inside!" Tikki spun in a circle exuberantly.

They discovered it was a flash drive.

Upon putting it into the computer, the pair spotted 12 music files, and a text file titled "read me". Marinette clicked on it curiously.

' _M,_

 _The thing that first sparked a conversation between us was music. Ever since that day, I've felt a connection to you. This mix is a testament to that, and I hope you enjoy it. I know mix tapes aren't really a thing anymore, but that's my inspiration behind this flash drive. I've included several different songs and artists, a few of them are me, but not too many. You'll have to tell me what you think._

 _Yours,_

 _L_ '

"He really is thoughtful," Tikki observed.

Marinette had to agree.


End file.
